After the 98th Academy Awards didn’t say anything about Dharmendra during the tribute on TV, many fans and those who had worked with this veteran actor were disappointed. His wife, Hema Malini, said publicly how ‘shameful’ it was that he was left out, and added that Dharmendra is much more than just awards.
The Oscars 2026 In Memoriam Telecast and Reaction
On March 15th, the Academy Awards ceremony on television honored a lot of people in international film during the In Memoriam. When people saw that Dharmendra, who died on November 24, 2025, wasn’t part of the tribute on the broadcast, they reacted quickly from all around the world.
Dharmendra’s fans expressed their sadness on social media and in the comments sections of articles, believing he should have been one of the people remembered on the live show. Many said he greatly influenced Indian movies for decades, and that people knew him in countries other than India.
Hema Malini’s Statement on the Omission
Hema Malini responded to being left out with very strong words, calling it ‘really shameful’. She emphasized Dharmendra “was known and recognized everywhere” and ignoring him during the TV tribute felt as though it disrespected both his memory and those who love him.
She also thought about how Dharmendra felt about awards in general. She said he thought being loved by the public was more important than getting a trophy, and actually, she herself hadn’t won an award for some of the roles people most loved her in.
Family Perspective and Wider Support
Dharmendra’s daughter had a different view, and thought he wouldn’t have cared about getting praise from the public. She said he valued love, being nice to others, and the place he had in people’s hearts far more than any official award or important position, and that his memory will be safe no matter what the Oscars decide to show.
Others in the film industry and people watching had different reactions. Some were upset he wasn’t on TV, while others were glad the Academy did acknowledge him in another way.
Inclusion on the Academy Website and Historical Context
Dharmendra wasn’t on the televised In Memoriam, but his name is on the Academy Awards’ official website’s In Memoriam page, which lists over 300 people from film all over the world. This shows he is part of the international film world.
In the past, the Academy has remembered several people from Indian film both on TV and on their website. Sridevi, Irrfan Khan, Shashi Kapoor, Nitin Desai, Bhanu Athaiya, and many others have been recognized at previous ceremonies, so people expected Dharmendra to get a similar mention on the broadcast.
What the Moment Means for Legacy and Global Recognition
This whole thing shows the difficulty of balancing what is shown during a live broadcast, what the people in charge of the show decide to do, and how much respect is shown to people in film globally. For a lot of fans and colleagues, not mentioning him on TV was a chance missed to celebrate a career that changed popular culture for many generations.
At the same time, he is on the Academy website, and the huge amount of remembering from fans, other actors, and his family shows how lasting Dharmendra’s effect has been. His work, what he did for film, and the fondness of millions of people will be how he is remembered, and that won’t change because of what a single awards show decided to include.
